A. Field of Invention
The invention generally relates, but is not necessarily limited, to the field of masonry trades, tools, and tool storage and maintenance.
B. Description of the Related Art
The masonry trade has had a longstanding problem arising from the need to keep masonry tools clean and free from hardened cement. This is particularly necessary with regard to brushes and brooms for finishing cement, i.e. adding desired textures to cement. These tools are especially prone to retaining cement in their bristles, and if the material is not removed in a timely fashion it will harden and result in a more or less permanent defect in the tool. A tool having such a defect causes streaking and non-uniform patterns in cement which is regarded as a fault. Generally, tools must be cleaned regularly during use which requires a source of water; however, running water sources, e.g. faucets or hoses, are often not immediately accessible at a worksite, so valuable time can be lost in making trips between a water source and a location where a mason is working.
One solution is for the mason to carry a bucket of water, but this does not address the need to keep tools clean and dry after being washed; it would not be acceptable to simply lay a clean broom in the dirt, for instance. Furthermore, water is often lost in the process of cleaning tools and the amount of water that can be carried in a bucket is limited, which necessitates additional trips back and forth to a water source. Again this wastes time, labor, and money on ancillary tasks, and since the working time of cement is limited the mason must take into account the time spent on these trips. This may require adding a person to the job, or mixing a larger number of smaller batches. Either option results in waste. What is needed is a device that allows a mason to conveniently carry a larger amount of water, provide him with a clean surface on which to place his tools, and provide means for conserving water to limit water refill trips.
Some embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more benefits or advantages over the prior art.